Hi All! ! !

I have a 1991 camaro v6 3.1l, it has a one wire oxygen sensor. Im getting bad gas milage so I want to change. I found a three wire o2 sensor on ebay, however I dont know if the stock o2 sensor is a narrow or a wide. Can the computer in the car read a wide band o2 sensor if the stock is a narrow band? Does it matter if I put a narrow or a wide band for this car's ecu? I hooked up an air fuel ratio gauge from autometer and the signal jumps crazy from lean to rich rediculously no matter what you're doing to the throttle. Im sure this is a clear sign o2 sensor is bad. Ok, lets hear the feedback. What do you guys have to say?

 

That's not a bad 02 sensor, that's just the problem with narrowband 02 sensors, inaccurate readings. Actually, they're not inaccurate, just vague.

 

Ok, narrow band gotta go, do we know that my ecu will be ok with a wide band sensor?

 

The "narrowband" is designed to only give 2 indications: there's NO oxygen left over after combustion (assumed to be richer than stoichiometric, if all combustion has been completed), or there IS oxygen left over (leaner than stoich). That's pretty much it. Which is why it appears to "jump" from one to the other.

The wideband is designed to give a continuous smooth indication, proportional to the amount of oxygen in the stream.

ECMs don't usually like wideband ones too well, because they don't get the result they're expecting. They expect to be able to make a small fuel trim, and see a BIG result; and thereby "zero in" on the ideal mixture.

Use the WB with your meter, and leave the NB hooked to the ECM.

 

That is exactly the information I need, Thank you so much ! ! ! i luv this f*cking site ! ! ! !

 

Whats a good wideband setup for our cars? I guess any setup would be good if your not running a computer hm?

 

I guess the ecu would have to be reprogrammed to utilize a wide band signal, i know very little about reporgramming ecu, however i have heard it done, though i don't know what they did to em.